President Vladimir Putin on Monday set out six priorities for Russia in 2026, urging the government and regional authorities to intensify efforts in demographic, economic and technological fields to ensure the effective implementation of national projects.
Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, Putin said reversing negative demographic trends is the foremost task, noting that birth rates continue to decline and current measures are insufficient.
He called for comprehensive solutions to encourage higher fertility, support families with children and expand successful regional practices nationwide.
Putin listed improving household well-being through stable economic growth as the second priority.
Russia’s GDP is expected to grow by about 1 percent this year, but he said conditions exist to gradually accelerate activity while keeping unemployment low and prices stable.
The third priority is modernizing foreign trade by shifting exports toward more complex, technologically advanced goods and focusing imports on high-tech products not produced domestically.
Increasing transparency and reducing the shadow economy is the fourth task.
Putin said the government has prepared a plan to curb illegal turnover in wholesale and retail markets, reduce unregistered employment and tighten oversight of cash circulation.
The fifth priority is raising labor productivity, with Putin urging the rapid launch of sector-specific competence centers in agriculture, digital development and energy.
Finally, he emphasized accelerating technological leadership.
Russia has laid the foundation for a new technological policy, adopting regulatory changes and launching national projects aimed at securing technological sovereignty.
The goal, Putin said, is not just import substitution but the creation of globally competitive Russian technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, digital platforms and advanced automation.